The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-10-19

determined by the court. said in his meg
sage of 1879:
y, The proximste cause of that trouble was
the going, at night, of party of men. num-
house of one Fairfax, a, colored political
leader in Tensas parish, which act resulted
i'll the killing Of Peck who seems to have
been the leader OF the parity, and the wound
ing. by. Peck's companions, of three colored
Wsom wf n da e Tst tSe 81
men to Fairfax was utterly wrong-in MY
opinion, utterly without justifcation-and
whilst attempted to be justified upOn the
ground that they, went in the interest of
peace, to expostulate against rumored pro-
the quarantine lines at the town of st.
Joseph, am satisfied that such was not the
purpose, but that it had political obiect..'
It not surprising then that this opinion
81 the governor was useJ BY United tedS States a
She trial and BY Senator Teller in the Senate
of the United States.
Senator Teller used this language: "The tes-
tf'nOny as TO the condition of affairs in Ieasds
parish does not rest apon the testimony of COL
0red men or Republicans; 1t rests upon the
testimony Of a Democratic Governor, Qiyen to
the people In his annual MESSAGE" Italics
ours.
A great deal of Gen. Nichols time is di:
reeted to defense of his appointment of
istration. do not desire to discuss this mat
ter. He at least has thought his conduct in
this respect needed defensive campaign,
and that there were complaints sufficient at
any rate to justify him in canyassing the
State and urging his deienses.
must confess that the recitals Of these
events are not pleasant to hear. There are
stories of bribing and corrupting negro leg
islators, Of agile and adroit representatives
capturing negro statesmen on the streets
caucuses with Pinchback, and other Incl
dents and circumstances that reflect but
little credit either upon our manhood or our
craftsmanship.
of this period. some attributing our success
to tine friendiness OF Gen. Angur and his adj
jutant general Green. whose influence
effected our salvation, with President Grant.
l have heard it attributed to Tom Handy,
and rhe following
LETTER FROM GEN. NICHOLS
to me would seem to corroborate the rumor:
NEW ORLEANS, Nov. 1OsSlSS1.
Gov s. D. McEnery:
My Dear Governor--There are rumors upon
the streets that you propose making changes
among the State officials in the City OF New
Orleans, and that among them Is change OF
the tax collector of the First Dislrict.-
Should the latter report be correct | would
call to your most favorable consideration the
claims OF Thomas II. Handy. No man in the
State contributed more modestIy, more ef;
interests in establishing the present govern
ton to know d do know exactly
what each person connected With the events
Of tia. perloa did and also to pretty well d.
My relations with Handy inst prior t., my in;
auguration were of the closest and
most confidential character. He was
fully informed of the programme sfterward
carried out and gave it thorough and, as
| GOODNESS and courage on the morning OF the
| 9Th of January much is due in assisting IN
bringing about the surrender of the court
house without the spilling OF blood,
posed) lucrative office to which he ha,i been
| elected and his title to which was recognized
Of the best citizens in this stste.
devoted to her interests .,a and 1arot sell u
| the State no less than her duty to accord to
| true men official trust, and knowing whereof
l speak, recommend him.
| With the best wisheI to you personally ano
| officially, and with the most earnest hope
and desire that your administration may not
! only be q prosperous and beneficial one, but
| be SO recognized, believe me yours truly,
FRANCIS L. NICHOLS.
But in the history of this period, as de.
| tailed by the reform canyassers, where come
| IN t. e heroic efforts of the men Of Caldwell
and Ouachita, Franklin and N1orehouse,
| Union and Lincoln, who assembled along the
| banks Of the Ouachita and madest hat desper-
! ate struggle? Where are the efforts OF East
| and West Baton Rouge, and OF East and
| West Feliciana: Where is the hero, the i'm
mortal Ogden, and the men Of Jan. 8, 1877,
who marched on that cold morning to the
| Supreme Courtroom, and marched from
there to the State House, and remained there
| through the day and night exposed to Tue
cold blasts Of winter Oh t where are thsyi
OF our reformers: We he.,r nothing Of these
men, and their long and heroic efforts, We
| hear nothing of the diplomacy . a7hlnt;
| ton of Burke, the accredited agent OF Gen.
| Nichols and our Representatives.
The efforts, the patriotism of all these able
and devoted men, pale into inslgni1canct
before the great efforts to ''break a quo.
rum by skillnishing Legislators and the
promise of patronage and the payment Of
| money!
In the name of the people of this State,
protest against such arguments, 1 NH go
| back to The Governors proclamation, where
he, on the oath of March. 1877, INFORMED
the, people, in response to their repeated pro
| tests, that their government had been or
gsniZed without a compromise OF thell
Believing then, ard believing now, thai
| the people of the North had been enlightened
as to our true condition. and the determine
ton of our people to submit no longer to
NEGRO DOMINATION,
repeat what I said in 1884, in New Orleans
at faranta's Hall, and what has not beef
| cOntrOyertcd.
With the State in such q condition-sl
hope of relief shut off from abroad. and
| nothing under the then existing govern
ment to be expected but a continuance o
the same misgovernment, violence and cor
no.. Il Iva. ~
what wonder, then. that the fierce passion
of revolution should be engendered, and tn
tragic period OF 1876 enacted7
the Nichols government became q hxet
fact from the moment the authorities d
Washington realized the terrible earnest
ness of our people, and that the temper o
the people was such tina it would be danger
Gus to tamper with it, and that no ,othe
government than the one they had elected
would be tolerated-a government born o
your patriotic hearts and inaugurated b.
your strong right arms.
If the Nichols government was organized
30 easily by the ready purchase OF negroes
who. like rats, were ready to quit q sinking
ship, and sold out cheap, what crimes wer
committed in what are known as the bull
doing parishes? Who is there, I'll N, tina
can reter to his record, his watchfnlness b
day day and by night, the responsibilities b
assumed and the risks he encountered
! None-not Onei
When Federal troops were ordered to Mon
roe in order to destroy the good work don
by the Democrats, and when they gathere
} negroes from every quarter and every plan
!. tation. marched them to mass meetings IN
der the protection of their guns the beopl
of Ouachta, who had become desperate
depnted Capt Theobalds, with elI-chose
force, to put stop to this marauding an
; political marching of Federal troops. Tn
negroes gathered in almost untold number
at st. James .Chapel. The Fedora, troor
!, were there, under their officers, Gons'stip
of two companies OF infantry. Iheobsld
had two wel]-armed companies Of ritiemen.
IL was on this occasion that lie announce
, with determination to the Federal officer
that we had submitted TO all that We intende
to endure; and henceforth nomore campaign
ing would be permitted with Federal troop
With flashing sabre and angry voice tn
officer proclaimed that that was Republicsa
meeting, and he was there to protect i
day l will sweep You and your comman
from OF the face of the earth!''
From that time forward we had no fnrthe
; interference with Federal troops: they gu
etlt camped inside of our picket line. Thee
e., ,.NF